Sánchez forms a continuous Government, which maintains 22 ministries and places Bolaños as a strong man

Appoints four vice presidents, leaves the holders of most of the State portfolios in their positions and rewards the leadership of the PSOE

The new Government of Pedro Sánchez, shared in the PSOE and Sumar coalition, will have four vice-presidencies and 22 ministries. Although there are nine new ministers, the trend is one of continuity in the majority of the so-called ministries of State, such as Foreign Affairs, Defense or Interior. Furthermore, it places Félix Bolaños as a strong man by bringing together the Presidency and Justice portfolios and gives more power to the ministers of the PSOE leadership, María Jesús Montero and Pilar Alegría.

Bolaños' accumulation of power is one of the most important developments, because although he is not named vice president of the Government, he will become a 'super minister', adding to the Presidency portfolio that of Justice, which is of vital importance in this legislature that begins with the amnesty law for Catalan independentists. The department will be renamed the Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Courts, according to government sources.

Sánchez is committed to continuity by maintaining the current vice presidents, Nadia Calviño, Yolanda Díaz and Teresa Ribera with slight changes in their ministerial powers. Calviño, who is pending his candidacy for the presidency of the European Investment Bank (EIB), maintains Economy, adds the competence of Commerce but loses Digital Transformation, which becomes a new Ministry and will be in the hands of José Luis Escrivá.

In addition, Sánchez recovers the Fourth Vice Presidency for María Jesús Montero, a position that already appeared in the Government that he formed in January 2020 and disappeared with the remodeling after the departure of the then leader of Unidas Podemos Pablo Iglesias.

Therefore, Sánchez also gives more power to the ministers who are part of the PSOE leadership. Montero is promoted to vice president and maintains the Treasury and Public Service and the current spokesperson for the PSOE Executive, Pilar Alegría, becomes spokesperson for the Government, maintains the Education and Vocational Training portfolio and assumes that of Sports.

The heads of the majority of State ministries also continue to lead their portfolios, with the exception of the departure of Pilar Llop from Justice. In this way, José Manuel Albares continues in Foreign Affairs, Margarita Robles in Defense and Fernando Grande-Marlaska in Interior, despite the fact that his departure after a very exhausting legislature was taken for granted.

In addition, it includes in the Council of Ministers well-known profiles in the party, who were affected by the electoral result of the regional and municipal elections of May 28. Ángel Víctor Torres, who until then was president of the Canary Islands, becomes minister of Territorial Policy, which now also includes Democratic Memory.

In addition, Óscar Puente, mayor of Valladolid until March 28, enters the Government as Minister of Transport. Sánchez already gave a hint of the new prominence that he was going to acquire, by choosing him as socialist spokesperson during the failed investiture of the PP candidate, Alberto Núñez Feijóo.

He has even named his number two in the city council of this city, Ana Redondo, the new Minister of Equality, a portfolio that the socialists had set as a priority to recover, after a legislature of shocks with Minister Irene Montero (Vamos). Now the PSOE chooses a little-known and low-profile person for this portfolio to close this path of internal tension.

HIGH POLITICAL PROFILE AND CONTINUED IN THE ECONOMIC

In an institutional statement from La Moncloa this Monday, Sánchez has attributed to his new Executive a "high political profile" and has indicated that he must be able to forge agreements "and explain them publicly."

Sánchez has indicated that he had previously communicated to the Head of State, King Felipe VI, the composition of his Executive and has confirmed the appointment of his 22 ministers, including four vice presidents.

He has also highlighted that it will be a Government "continuous in the economic area and also in the so-called ministries of State" and has highlighted the "marked feminist accent" with four vice presidencies led by women and with a total of 12 female ministers and 10 male ministers.

ALL PODEMOS MINISTERS ARE OUT

Regarding the Sumar quota, the leader of the space Yolanda Díaz maintains her position as second vice president and minister of Labor and Social Economy and maintains the same number of portfolios as in the coalition government with Unidas Podemos of the last legislature, five.

Furthermore, all Podemos ministers have left their positions and therefore the party that led the minority part of the Executive in the previous stage is left without representation in the Government. Sumar takes over Culture, in the hands of Erenst Urtasun, a very close collaborator of Díaz, although it loses the Sports portfolio that was associated with this department and Health, which will be directed by the leader of Más Madrid, Mónica García.

They also receive the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumption and Agenda 2030, previously led by the general secretary of Podemos, Ione Belarra, now passes to Pablo Bustinduy, but loses the powers of Children and Youth. This matter will be covered by a new Ministry that will be controlled by Sira Rego, leader of Izquierda Unida.

THE PSC QUOTA LOSES STRENGTH

In total, nine ministers leave the Government, five socialists and four from Unidas Podemos. In addition to Llop, Héctor Gómez, who until now was in Industry, Commerce and Tourism, and José Manuel Miñones (Health) are left without a portfolio. The two had only been in office for eight months, as they were appointed after the departure of Reyes Maroto and Carolina Darias to lead municipal candidates in the municipal elections of May 28.

The PSC's share in the Government also loses strength with the departure of Miquel Iceta and Raquel Sánchez, who experienced several crises in the Ministry, with the protest of the transport sector in March 2022 and the episode of the trains that did not fit because of the tunnels in Asturias and Cantabria.

Of the purple ones, Irene Montero, Ione Belarra, who have waged an open war with Yolanda Díaz, leave the Government. Also Alberto Garzón, who has left the political front line and the head of Universities, Joan Subirats, without much prominence during his mandate.